Creative Ways to Use Symbols

Posting a Nursery Schedule

“See and Do”

Posting the nursery schedule can give children a feeling of security. Symbols can be used to show when it is time to end one activity and time to move on to the next activity. View Nursery Schedule Gallery

Helping Children Express Needs

“I Need to Go Potty!”

When children have difficulty communicating, symbols can help them tell the teacher or parent what their needs are. Children can point to the symbol that displays their needs—for example, if they need to get a drink or go to the bathroom. View Nursery Schedule Gallery

Learning and Coloring

“Teach, Talk, and Color”

Symbols as coloring pages are a creative resource for teaching in Primary or at home. Children may color symbols while they talk about what they have learned. View Symbols Gallery

Teaching Children with Disabilities

“Simplify”

Symbols can help children with disabilities or other special needs learn gospel principles in simple, visual ways. Illustrated are four steps to saying a prayer. View Nursery Manual Gallery Lesson #3

“Variety”

Use a variety of methods when teaching children, especially those with disabilities or other special needs. Include the ways each child learns best. Ask a parent how to accommodate their child’s needs, attention span, and ways of learning. Visit Disability Resources

Posting a Primary Schedule

“Is It My Turn Yet?”

Posting a Primary schedule can help children know when it is their turn to participate. It can be reassuring and help children know what to expect. View Primary Schedule Gallery

Giving a Talk

“All by Myself!”

Symbols are great for children to use as part of a talk given in Primary. Showing a variety of symbols during a talk can help keep other children interested and listening. View Symbols Gallery

Teaching the Gospel

“A Symbol Is Worth 1,000 Words”

Symbols identify a gospel doctrine, such as the Plan of Salvation, the Creation, or the Restoration, in clear and simple ways. View Symbols Gallery

Illustrating a Story

“Color, Show, and Tell”

Children can color symbol pages that illustrate a story taught in a lesson during family home evening or in Primary. Coloring and storytelling can keep children engaged and help them remember what they have learned. View Symbols Gallery

Playing Games or Other Activities

“Engage Children in Learning”

Games and activities using symbols add variety and reinforce lessons, allowing children to interact in a fun way. A few ideas include:

The Match Game—children test their memories at finding symbols that match.

Who or What Am I?—children describe a symbol (prophets, Book of Mormon, an Article of Faith, and so on) to others, who try to guess the answer.

Fill in the Blank—children sit in a circle and pass around a symbol, such as the CTR sign. As each child holds the symbol, he or she completes the sentence "I can choose the right by …" Symbols can be used in this activity to help children share how they will apply what they have learned. View Symbols Gallery